Transit Lessons for Toronto: Insights from Crossrail International, Part Two

For the longest time, we’ve been talking about building transit projects through public-private partnerships (P3s). However, we’re hearing more and more often that model isn’t really working. What are your thoughts on this shift away from P3s?

SB: Yes, moving away from traditional P3 models towards more collaborative approaches can help. However, it's crucial to bring in partners at the right stage. I would recommend keeping project definition within the public sector for a good while. This ensures that you get what you actually need and that the public sector, which ultimately owns most of the risk, maintains control during the critical early stages. There's an illusion that once you've entered into a contract with somebody, you've handed the risk over to them. In reality, the public sector is still the organization that will be blamed, and politicians will be the ones that people go to when there's an overrun.

How does the public sector's role evolve in these collaborative models compared to traditional P3 models?

SB: In collaborative alliance models, the public sector retains a more active role throughout the project lifecycle. In traditional P3 models, there's a tendency to pass off significant control to private partners too early. However, in alliance models, the public sector remains deeply involved in defining project requirements and ensuring those are met. This approach mitigates risks associated with unclear requirements and ensures that the project stays aligned with public objectives.

Systems integration is a complex challenge that requires ongoing coordination and collaboration. In a traditional P3 model, different contractors might work in silos, focusing solely on their components. This can lead to integration issues later on. In a collaborative model, all partners work together from the outset, sharing knowledge and addressing integration challenges collectively. This collaborative effort can identify potential issues early and develop integrated solutions, reducing the risk of delays and additional costs.

That brings us to the topic of politics! Governments are always changing. How does Crossrail International work with shifting political landscapes to ensure project continuity?

SB: The key is to establish cross-party support based on a strong business case and public backing. With Crossrail, we were fortunate to have won the argument that such investments are not just costs but vital economic drivers. This perspective helped maintain support even through changes in national government and mayoral leadership. We had cross-party support throughout the project because the business case was so strong and public support was very high. This came partly through the Mayor's Transport Strategy, which had been through public consultation. The support was obvious, and that meant we could maintain cross-party backing.

We currently have four major subway builds underway in our region (Ontario Line, Scarborough Subway Extension, Yonge North Subway Extension, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension). How do we successfully get these projects across the finish line?

SB: For these projects already in progress, it's crucial to reassess and potentially adjust the governance and management structures. You need to look at your project portfolio holistically and consider staggering projects rather than starting everything simultaneously. This approach allows for better resource management and the opportunity to apply lessons learned from one project to the next. Ideally, projects should follow on from one another, but they don't need to finish completely before moving on to the next one.

Projects like this happen in phases - definition, authorization, design, civil construction, systems - each requiring different skills and sometimes completely different teams. If you stagger them so that lessons from one feed into the next, you could be starting one every 18 months. You could have six or seven projects going on at once but at different phases.

The Board: So, it likely wasn’t wise for us to start building three of these projects at roughly the same time. Why should we consider staggering projects in the future?

SB: Starting too many projects at once can overstretch the available resources, including skilled labor and materials. Each project phase—definition, authorization, design, civil construction, and systems—requires different skills and sometimes completely different teams. If you stagger the projects, you can ensure that lessons learned in one phase of a project can be applied to the next. This can drive efficiency and reduce the risk of repeating mistakes.

For example, if you begin one project, and it moves into the civil construction phase, you can start another project in the design phase. This overlap means you're not competing for the same resources at the same time. Ideally, projects should follow one another, allowing for a continuous learning and improvement cycle.

As we move forward and consider future projects, talk to us about the free resources available online that can be accessed by politicians, transit authorities, and the general public.

SB: Absolutely, this is something I'm passionate about as I was the head of learning legacy for the last five years of working on the Crossrail program. We created the Crossrail Learning Legacy website, which is easily searchable online. It contains about 850 items ranging from our processes and procedures to case studies and technical papers. For example, we have our handbook on managing fatigue in construction, which other projects can use.

The content is divided into 12 themes covering various aspects of delivering a major infrastructure project. These include environment, health and safety, project and program management, procurement, land and property, and more. We've documented how we communicated with stakeholders, how we involved developers in funding the project through over-site developments, and how we approached systems integration. I'd strongly recommend anyone involved in major infrastructure projects to visit the website.

The materials are designed to be 'pinched with pride' by other projects. We've put a lot of effort into making sure these resources are accessible and useful for future programs. It's a comprehensive collection of lessons learned, good practices, and innovations from the Crossrail construction program aimed at raising the bar in the industry and showcasing UK expertise.